Thorax believed he was no different from his kind, but what he believed that made him special was an idea. An insight to be more precise, an insight to hole new way of living not just for himself but also his race. Yet thorax's believes are believes.
Equestria just gained an new ally today...or dare I say a new friend. But in the other hand changelings lost a great worker and a soldier, that's hardly uncommon considering that there was a war going on. What truly surprised changelings was what they had understood from such a loss, from...a deserter, a traitor...yes. But an enemy? A royal commando is send to figure it out with the blessing of the queen and a small squad so they would hopefully understand Thorax intentions and deliver their so called justice.
Spike the brave and glorious and the changeling know known as Thorax were being thrown up in the air by the royal guards of the crystal empire. During this cheering a particular number of changelings had already trespassed into the very room they were never supposed or normally could be in. Yet this was made possible by the queen herself while they were temporarily invisible to the naked eye. The cheering stopped for just a moment, a moment that was just enough for a commando with great reflexes to steal the next moment for himself.
They changelings became visible when their commando started clapping slowly and yet very loudly. The noise was not really intended but with the metal gloves the commando was wearing it was indeed hard not to cause noise. That terrible sound of metal on metal was what drew everyone's attention towards the windows the changeling had sneakily entered. In front of their eyes stood a squad of 5 changelings with one of them holding a white flag attached to his spear. While the changeling standing in front was significantly taller and build up than the rest, unarmed and wearing an unidentified black glowing armor but with similar design to the armor most of the changelings had in possession.
An overreaction to their presence was obviously predicted, that overreaction included a magic beam from the Princess Cadence while defensive measures were taking place by the rest of the people in the room. Their Captain was the only one who did not act based on emotion or irrational thought, trying to hold his own guards down.
Without even lighting up his horn the Commando vanished the beam that would destroy a planet if it had struck the earth. During this brief panic Commando's claps did not stop. After they did all they could possibly do and felt safer, the Commando stopped clapping and just stood there like he was waiting for something.
Now it was Shinning Armor's turn to take the situation in hand. After silence filled the room more that the "infinite" amounts of magical shields the people in the room had casted Shining Armor spoke out loud.
"Everybody lower your shields right now."-Shinning spoke out loud.
"But..."-Shining Armor did not even take the time to recognized even from who that "but" came from before reacting to it.
"RIGHT NOW!"-Shining Armor screamed.
In the next few seconds all shields were lowered by that direct command, all except for one...Cadence's shield. That was almost blindly protecting their newborn foal. In that moment Shining took off his helmet and approached his panicked wife.
"they're- they are-"-Cadence tried to speak but was shushed by her husband with hug and a kiss of the forehead. "Cadence honey, please listen to me...lower the shield for me. They are not here for our baby, if they would have wanted to they would already have done it.Please."-Shining Armor spoke with such a soft tone that not many had the chance to hear.
Cadence took a moment, gulped and nodded just so seconds later her shield went down. "I-I"-Cadence tried to speak again but was interrupted interrupted this time with a finger between her lips. "I understand...now please teleport to Canterlot castle, we'll meet you there."- Shining said while giving Twilight a look and then kissing Cadence's forehead once more.
Shining stood up and wore his helmet again before ordering... "You two escort the princess, four of you with me"- Shining said with authority while the guards saluted and obeyed.
Before Cadence teleported away with the baby and the guards they shared one last glance with each other. Shining went to face the commando with his guards. He and Shining now were face to face, well except the fact that he had to look up to face the commando that was not even looking at him or anything in particular...
"I apologize for my man's unprofessionalism, the ethnics and the art of war are things that only can be learned not taught as we intend to do"-Shining spoke to up to the commando firmly.
"That's a poor excuse for lack of self-control and a weakness Captain"-The commando replied. When Thorax herd his commando speak he hid behind spike shaking in fear.
"I do not appreciate you and your man coming uninvited in the Crystal Empire's Castle even when it's for peaceful reasons"-Shining spoke back firmly.
"Really?I couldn't tell"-The commando said while giving thorax a quick look to apply his point before continuing...
"We are here for what is ours Captain, we can do whatever we want with each-other and our possessions...do excuse us."-The commando replied while turning around slightly and jerking his head slightly to two of his man. They knew the command and were heading for Thorax.
"No."-Shining Armor said shortly almost leaving the commando confused. Of course Commandos man did not take his denial as a order and kept advancing slowly towards Thorax till the Commando raised his arm blocking their way, they stopped and then returned to their previous positions.
"You have broken two rules Commando, one by coming uninvited and two by coming armed and enforced by your soldiers...if we had killed you on sight we would have held no responsibility"- Shining Armor continued after a moment of silence.
"My armed man are not here to protect me from you Captain, they are here to protect you from me. As for killing on sight as you intended previously proved that killing me is not a possibility."-the Commando said with no emotion in his voice.
"Very well, but any of this does not grand you authority to be here Commando, that was breaking in to be more precise. It would be a shame if such an issue would be addressed wouldn't it? Well it would't have to if we could cut out...a deal"- Shining Armor said while losing formality in his voice.
The commando for the first time looked down slowly to face Shining Armor, that was all the sight Shining needed to see to recognize the "What the fuck do you want look".
"I want to know how were you able to breach our defenses and how did you stop a direct attack of an alicorn"-Shining said boldly with a small smile on his face. While everyone else in the room was astonished in how civilized manner was the situation being handled.
"I an difference to your Princesses Captain our queen has full trust upon all of her subjects, the queen gave all of her power to me for this mission just because our Queen deemed it necessary. Our queen can trust all of her power to any of us without thinking twice. We do not have traitors, deserters or power-hungry sociopaths to out throne our queen. Now you know how."-The commando explained himself still firmly.
"I-I see, but if that's the case then what is Thorax?!"-As fascinated as he was Shining tried to hide it, it's not that e did not know this but such a scenario is extremely rare and till now not believed to have really happened like ever. And if what the commando had said was true then what was Thorax?
"You shall understand soon enough Captain, you all need to know just as much as he does."-Commando replied with no emotion in his voice.
"So be it"- That was all Shining Armor said before turning around slightly and jerking his head just like the commando had to two of his guards. The royal guard knew what that meant and both headed towards Thorax that was hiding behind Spike. They pushed Spike gently away and each guard grabbed Thorax by one of his arms.
Thorax was refusing to move or speak at the moment but did not resist being moved. In a minute he was behind Shining on his knees dropped by the guards.
"May justice and truth prevail over all"-Was all Shining Armor said before turning and heading to Twilight.
Shining Armor and the rest of the guards returned to their previous positions while Thorax was left in front of the commander and his guards alone. Spike tried to protest but was quickly shushed and held back by Twilight.
"Compose yourself corporal"- The commando said while directing his attention to Thorax.
Thorax stood up and composed himself but did not salute the high command as he would normally do because in his culture the honorless can not honor anyone even if it is just a salute. If he did however he would get himself a beating, that was probably what the commando partially wanted.
"Thorax my soldier, my brother, my betrayer...yet I can't blame you."- The commando said while his words made Thorax jerk his head up in surprise.
"I have been here long enough and I have to say that you are truly an exceptional exception. For just a moment there you made me wish that your believes were actually true...even so slightly"-The commando said then stopped for a minute like he was thinking what to say next.
"To face in reality something that your mind is not supposed to comprehend is not something that happens every day, such cases are mostly kept secret even from our queen for the better of the hive. For the first time I could not conclude my own thoughts nor could I judge you. The measures we will take today are a decision of the Queen and her only, you can look at it as punishment, reward, blessing or curse and yet it will remain a matter of perspective."-The Commando said while the two of the guards behind him were slowly approaching Thorax casting a spell during the way to him.
Thorax was expecting the worst and yet he could not do anything about it. On the other side of the room the ponies felt uneasy and spike tried to do something this time for real but Shining reassured him that they were not going to 'harm' him in any way.
"I speak in the name of the queen when I say that you are exiled from all of the changeling hives for the rest of your 'being', from now on you will be permanently marked with the Red seal making you a...valuable kill on sight target" The commando finished his sentence the same moment the guards close up to Thorax and ironed him in the chest with magical spear, the pain causing him to fall on his knees. The two guards returned to their previous positions while Thorax tried to compose himself up again...barely succeeding.
"Why?"-was all Thorax weakly asked trying to be brave.
"I did what I was ordered to do, I also was ordered to ask if you want the answer to that question."-The commander said boldly.
"I do want to know"- Thorax said his voice almost cracking.
The commando removed his helmet and spoke: "You are blessed my brother...mother nature blessed you with what we call the Holy Heart, this very heart makes you different from us. It is a heart like no other, no other being but you and the Queen share this kind of heart. For our Queen such a heart is necessary, if the queen was like any of her subjects then the Queen would have not cared to sustain a hive. It is necessary for our mother to show compassion for her subjects. Each and every single one of us hold her traits but the trait of the heart is only inherited once in every 1 billion changelings. You are such a changeling brother, you do not need to feed on others love. This heart can sustain itself and is not like their heart. * Pointing at the ponies in the other side of the throne room.
"In a difference to your belief you do not share love with them, the holy heart sustains itself only by giving compassion. The more compassion you give the more love the heart makes. I can not comprehend such a heart...something is coming out of nothing, you are giving and in the same time gaining without taking. We do not understand it cause it can not be observed or analyzed. We don't know what this heart is but we know what it is not. Not many have experienced your fate but those we know of were heroes or legendary fighters. In a difference to my enemies emotion made them stronger and provided the motivation to perform beyond limits...just like our queen.Simply because they shared the same compassion for our race as the queen herself"-The commando said, got closer to Thorax and grabbed him by the throat lifting him up.
"But you did not show compassion for us...but for them, our enemies"- The commando's voice reached another tone while saying those words,to say the least...and he would have continued if he wasn't interrupted. Thorax gasping for breath as the commando's grip was getting stronger every moment.
Spike did not question himself this time but Shining Armor managed to stop him without making a scene on their side and telling him that the commando's guards will stop this and that this is what the commando wants.
"Commando drop him!"-the first changeling shouted to the commando. "Now!"-the second commando continued the shout "We were ordered not to kill him."-The third guard sounded like he was reminding the commando. The 4th changeling that was caring the spear with the white flag remained silent. The commando dropped Thorax that was desperate for breath...
"You want to know why? You were not exiled because you were different, you would have been praised for what you are if we would have known sooner. You were the chosen one, you were supposed to fight them and not join them. You were exiled because your very heart...your very being is now treasonous towards us."-The commando finished and took a moment to calm him self down.
Thorax looked up at the commando and asked with his hand on his throat: "Then why am I still alive?Why were you ordered not to kill me?"-In those words Thorax sounded more like a changeling and much more serious then Spike had ever seen him.
"In our Queen's eyes you are seen as a new hope...and apparently at our enemies eyes as well. We have to be realistic...we are fighting a war and as such there is always a possibility that we are not going to be the victor. As unlikely as it sounds it is true that it remains a possibility. By our defeat I mean our extinction. Your kind will be the only ones that will make it out of this war. You might be a different kind of changeling but you still remain a changeling. This is all I am allowed to tell you, it might be all we know...or not."-The commando said calmly.
Thorax finally stood up composing himself.
"Seek the Queen for more answers...if you dare."- The commando saluted, but it was not clear towards who because his attention was not focused up to anyone at that point...It could have been Thorax or Shining Armor which was normal but it could have also meant both. The commando might have done this vage salute intentionally, we will never know. Enemies or not everyone deserves some amount of respect.
The commando turned around and signaled his soldiers that they were done here and that they are leaving. A portal was shortly opened and the changelings went through the portal and the commando was left alone. The commando turned around and headed for the portal as well but was stopped by Thorax's question.
"Are you one of my kind commando?"-Thorax said with that changeling voice. There was a short silence that felt like forever...
"I will never make it."- was all the commando said before going through the portal that closed behind him.
Thorax just stood there until he was surrounded by his new friends...
Commando's answer did not really answer Thorax's question, it could have been a no and that is why he would not make it out of the war...or it could have been a yes but he won't make it anyway cause his compassion is for the changelings and them only. There are many unknowns...
